The present invention relates to memory devices and methods of fabricating the same and, more particularly, to magnetic memory devices and methods of fabricating the same.
As a consequence of the trend of higher speed and low power consumption in electronic devices, it has become desirable that memory devices embedded therein provide speedy read/write operation and low operation voltage. In order to meet this demand, magnetic memory devices have been developed. Magnetic memory devices are drawing increasing attention as candidates for next-generation memory having high-speed operation and/or non-volatile characteristics.
A typical conventional magnetic memory device may include a Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) pattern. An MTJ pattern typically includes two magnetic substance layers and an insulating layer interposed therebetween and may have a resistance value that varies in accordance with the magnetization direction of two magnetic substance layers. Typically, when the magnetization directions of two magnetic substances are aligned antiparallel (i.e., in parallel, but opposite, directions), the MTJ pattern may have a greater resistance value. When the magnetization directions of the two magnetic substance layers are parallel, the MTJ pattern may have a lower resistance value. The difference between the resistance values enables data to be stored.